Sharul Channa to be in Bengaluru for last leg of Saree-ously Not Sorry India tour

The Hindu

3 days ago

'Bangalore has a split personality just like its weather. The people are either quite pious and into their culture, or have been smoking up and haven't showered for a couple of days because they're too cool to do it,' deadpans Sharul Channa.
The Indian stand-up comic from Singapore is winding up her tour of the country, and Bengaluru with a show this weekend, is her last stop. 'From the time I started my show in Mumbai to its conclusion this weekend, I've gathered so much material. The people are so vibrant and things here can be quite amusing. I find myself chuckling away even as I'm taking notes.'
She recalls a recent incident in Mumbai. 'I love Kolhapuris and this was at the height of the Kolhapuri-Prada controversy, so of course I had to get myself a couple to support the artisans. Two foreigners spotted my footwear and pitying the homeless craftsmen wanted to get some, so I opened up Google Maps and pointed out Kolhapur. They went their way, tutting that it was quite far, while I turned a corner and bought myself another pair,' she chortles in absolute glee.
Her sharp-edged humour points inward too. 'It was for a lark and I'm sure they figured it out eventually. But it's fun to watch how we jump on to trends; I not only got myself four or five pairs of those slippers, I got them in vegan because I'm one of those crusaders as well. '
Sharul admits she enjoys performing in India as 'different cities have their own vibe, culture, language, traditions and customs — it's quite exciting.'
'When I travel across India, I take a break between shows. I went to Uttarakhand for a peaceful trip, then I was in a homestay in Mysore for four days and now I'm in Pondicherry for a bit. I head to these little corners where I find comfort, and in the process, I get a lot of material too.'
Pivoting back to Bengaluru, she says the auto drivers here are a class apart (but of course). 'I love to take autos there — the drivers should compete for F1. The last time I was there, the auto was going so fast I saw my next two reincarnations. I had to tell him 'I want to go fast, but I don't want to go fast'.'
She continues non-stop, much like those auto drivers. 'I decided I'd rather act like I couldn't speak, than talk to an auto driver in Hindi while in Bangalore. So that's what I did on another ride. My manager was next to me and I mimed my way through it; the auto driver was quite sweet.'
'Louis Vuitton has introduced a new auto bag and I'm going to get one because the auto will tell me where it wants to go, rather than going where I want it to,' she continues, taking a dig at the infamous attitude of the three-wheeled service providers in the city.
'Its a challenge, but I still love the vibe here and the lingo. I think people are way more open in Bangalore.'
Watching a stand-up is fun. Talking to one, even for an article, can be a hoot, especially since Sharul amuses herself as well as her audience, even if it is a single listener. However, in conversation with her, one realises the thick accent associated with many of her stage shows is noticeably missing.
'In Singapore, we are very good at switching accents. We have a majority Chinese population, followed by Tamilians, and then people of Malay origin. When we are in conversation with different nationalities, we turn our accents around. Its not a racist thing; its a Singaporean habit because of the many people we encounter there,' she says, explaining that most of her shows are recorded for Asian audiences.
Even though her family moved to Singapore when she was a baby, Sharul identifies as an Indian. 'We would come back to India for holidays, and though I'm an NRI, I'm quite close to my Indian roots and I'm proud of it,' she says, adding that it is a nod to the title of her show as well as the reason why she is often seen performing in a sari.
'The Indian identity is very strong — you can move anywhere in the world, but you will not be able to get it out of yourself. Besides my mom is a Hindi teacher and my dad is an Indian chef, so how much more Indian can you get?'
Sharul Channa will present Saree-ously Not Sorry at The Medai-The Stage on August 1 and 2, at 8pm. Tickets priced at ₹499 are available on BookMyShow.